Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-11-04
ARTIFICIAL LIN BS.
The Art OF Making Them Nearing
Perfection.


al wouldn't exactly say" remarked
n manufacturer. "that people can get
along IA we'll with artificial limbs a.
they can with artificial teeth. but the art
or industry is fast approaching that
stage of perfection. Men and women
can eat and drink, play the violin.
write, and do various kinds of light
work with artificial arms and hands.
and they can dance, skate and rum with
artificial legs
"rhe proportion of those whose
misfortunes require the use of artificial
limbs is about one in 10000 of the
population. OF these, % to 30 per cent
are women. OF the limbs lost, the
legs are in the large majority-about
IS per cent"
"A great many are under the inn
preston that the war made most of the
cripples now living. The fact is that
/ for one person who lost limb in the
war twenty to twcnty-four lost theirs
through some accident on the rail
ways, or in some other manner entire
" disconnected from warfare The
railroad is the great source of our bus
ness, probably one-half the cases that
come to us being attributed to railway
accidents.
II suppose" said the reporter, THAT
you meet with some queer incidents in
. &,
''Yes. remember customer COM
ing TO me not long ago for his second
artificial leg. lie has worn the first
for n number OF years. He said that
he was in much trouble of mind. He
was going 10 get married. and had
been counting his intended for year
aud half. and she did not know but
that he was entirely sound. The ques-
ton in his mind was whether to tell
her before or wait until after marriage.
| advised Inn to inform her before
hand, as otherwise she might have legal
ground TO apply for an annulment Of
the marriage on the ground of decep-
ton He told me afterward that
he followed my advice, and the
lady concluded that she loved him none
the less on account of his misfortune.
Another singular inc dent, but of a
Il ilerent character. was in connection
with the coils on of two steamers, one
of which had just started from this
port TO Europe, and had to put back
again on account of the damage. None
Of the passengers were injured by the
accident, and friend jokingly remark
doubt be greatly disappointed that there
was no loss of limb, rs would there
fore get no revenue from the occurrence.
Strangely enough. the day following q
man from Ohio walked into my Office
and said he wanted an artificial leg.
He related that he had been a pas
,enger on the steamer which had TO put
back on account of the collision,
having started from his home in Ohio
to pat a visit to Europe. When the
vessel returned to port he concluded,
on reflection, to give up hs European
trip and 10 expend the money he had
reserved for tho trip in providing him
self W tn new art fetal lee in place of
the one which he then wore. SO il
seems that the collision of those two
steamers brought business after all. "
WHO supply limbs for the soldiers?'
"The business is distributed among
different manufacturers. nearly if not
all m the large cities of tho Atlantic
coast. No union soldier who has lost a
limb in the war need be without an
artificial one. Northern manufacture
ers also supply good many artificial
limbs to confederate veterans on the
orders of states of the south that have
made provision for the manned of the
lost cause; but a great many of the
southern veterans are unprovided,
for the reason that the appropriations
for their relief are not sufficiently fire.
quent and adequate.
"Of private cases. do the greater
number come from the city or county P'
Il think the dangers of city and
country life are about even. so far as
the artifcal-limb trade is an indicator.
The mowing-machine is fair set-off to
the horse-cars "--Nel0 York Sun.